Adjustable wing t form



Feb. 9, 1965 A. T. Nr-:LsoN 3,168,771

ADJUSTABLE WING T FORM Filed Jan. 28, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney Feb. 9,- 1965 A. 1'. NELsoN ADJUSTABLE WING T FORM s sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 l Ill/7 /lIlL/lz lll lll/111111 l "kan u o u s u u l /l l 61 6562113 RANU m8 mL V E WN T. D E R F L A Z 1D |18 rv Attorney Feb- 9 1965 A. T. NELsoN ADJUSTABLE me T FORM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 28, 1963 Y. .ai Y

INVENTOR.

ALFRED T. NELSON Attorney United States Patent O 3,163,771 ADJUSTABLE WING T FORM Alfred T. Nelson, 13366 SW. Knaus Road, Lake tlswego, Greg. Filed `Ian. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,305 7 Claims. (Cl. 2.5-l2l) This invention relates to an adjustable wing T form p for casting preformed concrete beams for ceilings, iloors and other structures.

In building construction, for example, `it hasbecome the` practice to make the supporting beams for ceilings and floors in T-shape in cross section with `the upper bar of the T extended laterally to a considerable distance so that the beams themselves also form the ceiling or floor, as the case may be. In assembling such a structure the horizontal wings of adjacent beams are placed together edge to edge to span the entire distance between the vertical mid portions of the beams. For maximum strength with a minimum of weight, such beams also include some form of pre-stressed reenforcement such as longitudinal steel cables. This form of construction is sturdy and convenient to erect and lends itself to many other uses besides buildings.

In order to make this type of construction economical, special forms are required to facilitate the placing of the steel reenforcement, the pouring and vibrating'of the concrete and the quick removal of the casting from the forms after the concrete has set. Also, as a practical matter, the forms should be adjustable to make beams of different shapes and dimensions.

It is, therefore, the general object of the present invention to provide an improved wing T form for the purpose described.

Other objects are to provide improved means for stripping the forms from the cast beam, to provide improved features of adjustability in the form, to provide an improved joint or angular adjustment of the wing portions of the form and to provide improvements in general to facilitate the use and adjustment of the forms for the rapid and low cost manufacture of pre-cast T beams of different shapes and sizes.

The present form is made in sections which are adapted to be connected together end to end to make beams of any desired length. Each section Vis mounted on a base.` Provision is made for varying the inclination of the wing portions and varying the depth of the central cavity. One side of the form is mounted on a carriage for movement transversely on the base away fromits opposite companion wing section to provide access for a workman between the sections.

The invention will be better understood and the foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Various changes may be made, however, in the construction and arrangement of parts and certain features may be used without others. All such modiiications within the scope of the appended claims are included in the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end of a form assembly comprising a series of wing T form sections embodying the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view of one of the form sections shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 showing the manner of stripping the form from a cast beam;

FIGURE 4 is a similar view showing the form in open position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, showing the locking device in locked position;

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FIGURE 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the i line 9 9 of FIGURE 2; and FIGURE 10 is an elevation View of the structure shown i in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE l is a plan view of one end of a form assembly for casting concrete beams which may extend to as much as 400 feet in length. This assembly comprises a plurality of identical wing T form sections joined to gether end to end in the number necessary to produce the desired length of beam. FIGURE l shows section A complete and a fragmentary portion of the next identical section which is designated as B. `A single section, which is preferably about ten feet long and about the same Width, will be described in detail. p i

The sections A, B, etc., are supported on a bed frame comprising a series of transverse I-beams It) as shown in FIGURE 2. In the present embodiment there is an I- beam l@ at the near end of each section with the far end of each section being supported on the adjacent near end of the next section. The last section in the assembly is supported on an I-beam It) at each end. This arrangement is preferred for the casting of very long beams where a large number of sections are necessary.` For casting shorter beams it may sometimes be desirable to make a single form section the length of the beam, in which case the single section would be equipped with bed frame I- beams 10 at suitable intervals to provide adequate support for the form structure.

Each section, such as the section A, comprises essentially a pair of L-shaped frames Il and I2 each formed of a plurality of L-shaped structural members i3. Each member I3 has a vertical leg I4 and a transverse leg le' inclined slightly from the horizontal. The lower ends of the vertical legs I4 of each frame are connected to a horizontal longitudinal base plate 16 while the outer ends of the transverse legs 15 are connected to a horizontal longitudinal beam 17. As shown in FIGURE l0, base plate ll6 is preferably L-shaped in end view. The members I3 are spaced at intervals along the section A to support the concrete in the form.

A mounting bracket 26 having a pair of downwardly extending ears is mounted on the underside of base plate 16 of frame 11 directly above the I-beam lill. A similar -mounting bracket 21 having a pair of `upwardly extending ears is mounted on the I-beam. The ears of the` two mounting brackets are apertured to receive a pivotal connecting pin 22. The outer side of the frame 11 is supported by a vertical break-away leg 25. ln the present embodiment there is an I-heam 10 with mounting bracket 21 and break-away leg 2S at the near end of each section A, B, etc., but, as previously mentioned, the section may be made longer, in which` case it would require a plurality of such supporting assemblies spaced at intervals along its length. The lower end of break-away leg 25 is pivotally connected at 26 with the outer end of I-beam l@ while the upper end of the break-away leg is connected t0 beam 17 by an over-center toggle lever 27. Frame I2 is similarly mounted on a roll-out carriage as will presently be described.

wing form at 32 and the main length of the leg is provided with a series of transverse apertures 33. Leg 31 is supported at the desired height by a pin 34 in a selected one of the apertures 33. Piu 34 is supported at its ends in apertures in a bracket 35 on the underside of frame 11.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a novel form of pivotal connection between the inner edges of Wing forms 30 and the frames 11 and 12. A longitudinal vertical form plate 40 on the inside of vertical legs 14 has an upper portion 39 bent outwardly at about a 45 angle and at its extremity a flange 41 bent downwardly at an acute angle to portion 39 to form a relatively sharp but rounded top corner at 42. Similarly, a top form plate 43 on the wing form 30 has at its extremity a flange 44 bent downwardly and back at an acute angle to form a relatively. sharp but rounded inner corner 45.

These anges 41 and 44 bear against opposite sides of a longitudinal resilient rubber seal strip 46. The lower edge of seal strip 46 has a channel edge 47 to receive and grip the loweredge of plate ilange 41 while the upper edge is externally rounded and inwardly shaped to fit the exterior surfaces of the plate or flange corners 42 and 45 as shown. Thus, the seal strip 46 is held firmly against the plate ange 41 while the corner 45 of plate 43 bears against the opposite side of the seal strip to provide a fulcrum for the raising and lowering movements of wing Aform 30. The plate anges 41 and- 44 are held in this relationship by a series of split compression clamping rings 49 to maintain a liquid-tight hinge joint. o

The inner edge of each wing form 30 is supported and prevented from dropping down by a bolt 50 which is fitted in a round hole in an ear 51 on the end beam 29. Bolt 50 is movable laterally in an arcuate slot 53 in the end member 13. The center of curvature of slot 53 is at a point in the rubber sealing member 46 midway between the plate corners 42 and 45. This point is on the hinge axis. After the inclination of the Wing form has been adjusted by pin 34, a nut is tightened on the bolt 50 to rigidify the joint in FIGURE 7. In a long section having a plurality of jacking legs 31, a corresponding number of ears 51 and Asupporting bolts 50 are provided at intervals along the length of the section.

Referring back to FIGURE 2, the left frame 12 is identical to the right frame 11 except that the former is mounted on a carriage 55 for lateral movement toward and away from the latter. Carriage 55 is equipped with wheels 56 to run on a track rail 57 on the upper side of bed frame I-beam 10. This permits separation of the two L-frames 11 and 12 to open the form as shown in FIGURE 4 for better access by a workman The breakaway leg 25 and jack leg 31 operate the same as on frame 11. n

In FIGURE 9 it will be observed that the depending ears of L-frame supporting bracket 20 are spaced apart a considerably greater distance than the upstanding flange supports for the pin 22 on carriage 55. This permits movement of bracket 20 with respect to the bed frame in a direction longitudinally of the form assembly to accommodate expansion and contraction when the forms are heated to cure the concrete. In asimilar manner the depending ears of bracket 20 on the frame 11 are spaced more widely apart than the upstanding ears of bracket 21 on the bed frame I-beam. Thus, the bed frame members may be rigidly bolted to the door without restricting the longitudinal expansion and contraction movements of the forms under heating and cooling. In the case of breakaway leg supports 25, their pin connectors 26 are loose enough to permit the upper ends of the legs to follow expansion and contraction movement of the frames 11 and 12.' j

The space between vthe two longitudinal vertical form plates 40 is closed at the .bottom by a horizontal longitudinal bottom plate 60 as more specifically shown in FIGURE 8. Plate 60 is fitted along its side edges with a pair of channeled rigid angular resilient rubber sealing strips 61. These sealing strips rest on a supporting beam unit 62 which in turn rests on the bed frame I-beams 10. Means will presently be described for drawing the two L-frames 11 and 12 together laterally so as to cause the plates 40 to abut rmly and seal against the rubber seal--` ing strips 61. This prevents leakage from the bottom of the form. e

It is necessary to hold the carriage 55 down and prevent any tendency of the carriage to rise when the concrete is vibrated in the narrow vertical section between form plates 40. This detail is shown in FIGURES 9 andv l0. Bed frame I-beam 10 is equipped with an upstanding hold-down ear 65 having a horizontal outward facing notch 66 to receive a projecting lug 67 on the carriage 55. .Ear 65 is secured to one side of I-beam 10 by a pair of bolts 68. Adjustment longitudinally of the I-beam is provided by elongated holes 69 in the ear.

A locking device for the carriage 55 is shown in FIG- URES 5 and 6. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, a vertical locking catch bar 75 depends from the underside of the carriage for movement with the carriage alongside the bed frame I-beam 10. A rod 76 having a turnbuckle length adjustment 77 is pivotally connected at one endl to a toggle locking handle lever 78. This lever is arranged to be positively secured in locked position by a pin 79. Lever 78 is pivotally mounted at 80 on a bracket on the I-beam. The other end of rod 76 is supported by a cam follower 81 having a pin riding in the obliquely angled cam slot 82. Rod 76 is Vfurther provided with a catch bar abutment 83 and a guide plate 84.

The arrangement is such that whenthe handle 78 is moved to release position as shown in FIGURE 6, cam follower 81 in moving to the left end of cam slot 82 shifts the rod 76 laterally toward the I-beam 10. Then, when the carriage 55 is moved to the right from its FIG- URE 4 position to its FIGURE 2 position, the catch bar 75 moves -to the right in FIGURE 6 to its solid line position clearing the guide plate 84. Now, when the handle 78 is moved to its locked position shown in FIGURE 5',- the rod 76 is pulled to the right and is also shifted laterally away from the I-beam and toward the catch bar.' 75 by the movement of cam follower 81 traveling to the right end of cam slot 82. This causes abutment 83 td engage behind catch bar 75 and pull the carriage r'mly against bottom plate 60 and squeeze plate 60 against form plate 40 of stationary frame 11 to prevent lossof liquid from the bottom of the form. The amount of compression of the seals 61 thus produced by the locking handle l ever 78 is adjustable by means of turnbuckle 77. Guide plate 84 acts as a guide for catch bar 75 during this movement and as a retainer to secure and maintain the engagement of abutment 83 with the catch bar 75 after the carriage is locked.

It will be observed in FIGURE 9 that mounting bracket` The sections A, B, etc., in FIGURE 1 are adapted to be bolted together. For this purpose the end beams 29 of wing forms 30 are provided with bolt holes'96 and the L-frames 11 and 12 are equ'pped with blocks 97 having bolt holes 98, as shown in FIGURE 2. i

Operation In preparing the form for use the wing forms 30 are rst adjusted to the desired inclination by means of pins 34, as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2. The carriage 55 will be rolled back as shown in FIGURE 4 to provide ample access for the placement of the reenforcing cables and any y'other steel reenforcement which may be desired. Then, if bottom plate 60 and beam support 62 have been removed, they are put in place and carriage 55 is clamped in operating position by means of the locking lever 7S. Beam support 62 may be blocked up to provide the desired depth in the vertical space between form plates 40.

Finally, the pre-stressing cables are tensioned and suitable closure members are applied to the ends of the form assembly to retain concrete therein. It is also to be understood that the wing form-s 30 are provided with suitable concrete retaining ledges along their outer edges to provide the desired thickness of concrete at the outer edges of the T wings and these ledges (not shown) are preferably adjustable laterally to form the desired wing width. These features are well understood by persons skilled in the art and have been omitted in the drawings for clarity of illustration of the important features of novelty.

The concrete is vibrated or tamped as it is poured into the thin vertical section between the plates 40. During this operation the lug 67 holds the carriage 55 down so that the left frame 12 will not tend to rise. After the pouring of the concrete has been completed, it is customary to apply heat to accelerate its curing. This causes considerable expansion of the forms which takes place freely as a result of the lost motion provision in the pin supports 22.

When the concrete has set sufficiently to permit removal of the casting, the frames 11 and 12 are broken away by release of the toggle levers 27 on break-away legs 25, as shown in FIGURE 3. This permits the frames 11 and 12 to pivot outwardly and downwardly on the pins 22 and free the beam 9@ from the form plates 4@ and 43. In FIGURE 3 the embedded steel reenforcement is not shown since the particular disposition of these members is immaterial to the invention. The beam 9i) is then ready for removal from the form assembly and the carriage 55 may be rolled back as shown in FIGURE 4 to facilitate removal of the beam, if desired.

With heat curing of the concrete the whole cycle of operation is completed expeditiously with a minimum amount of manual work and the forms may be quickly prepared to receive the reenforcement and concrete for another beam. This makes it practical to prefabricate beams of large sizes at a manufacturing plant and then transport them to the site of construction more economically than they can be poured on the job as integral parts of the building or other structure. Factory production provides controlled conditions making for better uniformity, high strength and better structural properties in general than can ordinarily be accomplished on the construction site itself. This effects a saving of both time and materials in all types of construction work to which the T form of combination door and beam 1s adapted.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may `be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A wing T concrete form comprising a pair of frames of inverted L-shape having confronting spaced apart vertical legs for molding the vertical web portion of a T-shaped beam and having oppositely disposed transverse legs for molding the wing portions of the T, means for pivoting said frames about the lower ends of their vertical legs for breaking the frames away from a molded beam, means supporting one of said frames for movement laterally toward and away from the other frame, and transversely extending adjustable angle wing forms pivotally connected at their inner edges with said L- frames; said wing form pivotal'connections each cornprising a form plate on said vertical leg having a backturned ange forming a corner along the upper edge of the plate, a form plate on said wing form having a backturned flange forming a corner along the inner edge of the plate, a rubber seal strip between said ilanges, spring clamps clamping said corners of said plates against opposite sides of said seal strip for relative pivotal movement, and a bolt clamp securing said L-frame and said wing form together in adjusted angular position.

2. In a concrete form having a pair of pivotally interconnected members with adjustable angle form plates, backturned ilanges forming rounded corners on adjacent edges of said plates, a rubber sealing strip betweensaid ilanges, spring clamps clamping said corners of said plates against opposite sides of said sealing strip for relative pivotal movement, and means securing said members together in adjusted angular position.

3. A concrete form comprising a bed frame, a carriage on one side of said bed frame, a form frame pivotally mounted on said carriage for break-away movement, a form frame pivotally mounted on the opposite side of said bed frame for break-away movement, a bottom plate for the form disposed between said two form frames, a catch bar depending from said carriage, a transverse rod having near one end thereof, a catch bar abutment, a toggle locking hand lever on the other end of said rod and pivoted on said bed frame for moving the rod lengthwise, and a support on said bed frame for said one end of the rod arranged to shift the rod laterally into engagement with said catch bar when the rod is moved longitudinally toward locking position by said hand level and arranged to shift the rod laterally clear of lsaid catch bar when the rod is moved longitudinally away from locking position by said hand lever, said hand lever and rod being operable on said carriage to clamp said bottom plate between said form frames.

4. A form as defined in claim 3 including a turnbuckle length adjustment in said rod.

5. A form as defined in claim 3 including hold down means for said carriage.

6, A concrete form comprising a bed frame, a carriage on one side of said bed frame, a form frame mounted on said carriage, a form frame mounted on the opposite side of said bed frame, a bottom plate for the form disposed between said two form frames, a catch bar depending from said carriage, a transverse rod having near one end thereof a catch bar abutment, a toggle locking hand lever on the other end of said rod and pivoted on said bed frame for moving the rod lengthwise, and a support on said bed frame for said one end of the rod arranged to shift the rod laterally into engagement with said catch bar when the rod is moved longitudinally toward locking position by said hand lever and arranged to shift the rod laterally clear of said catch bar when the rod is moved longitudinally away from locking position by said hand lever, said hand lever and rod being operable on said carriage to clamp said botom plate between said form frames.

7. A concrete form comprising a bed frame, a carriage on one side of said bed frame, a form frame mounted on said carriage, a form frame mounted on the opposite side of said bed frame, a bottom plate for the form disposed between said two form frames, a catch bar depending from said carriage, a transverse rod having near one end thereof a catch bar abutment, a toggle locking hand lever on the other end of said rod and pivoted on said bed frame for moving the rod lengthwise, said catch bar being movable with said carriage between a retracted position and a closed position, means arranged to engage said abutment with said catch bar when the carriage is in substantially closed position so that operation of said (being arranged to disengage said abutment from said ,hand lever and rod in one direction will draw said carriage toward `said opposite side of the bed frame to clamp said bottom plate between said form frames, said means 8 t References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 727,272 Blaw May 5, 1,688,627

` Long Oct. 23,

Catch bal and allOW the CatCh bal' O mOVe beyond Said 5 2 495 100 Henderson Jan 17 end of said rod when said hand lever and rod are Op- 3071837 Cerutti jan: 8, erated in the opposite direction to release said carriage 3,075,240 Casavina et a1 jam 29, for movement to said retracted position. 3,092,886

Dykeman et a1 I une 1l, 

1. A WING T CONCRETE FORM COMPRISING A PAIR OF FRAMES OF INVERTED L-SHAPE HAVING COMFRONTING SPACED APART VERTICAL LEGS FOR MOLDING THE VERTICAL WEB PORTION OF A T-SHAPED BEAM AND HAVING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TRANSVERSE LEGS FOR MOLDING THE WING PORTIONS OF THE T, MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID FRAMES ABOUT THE LOWER ENDS OF THEIR VERTICAL LEGS FOR BREAKING THE FRAMES AWAY FROM A MOLDED BEAM, MEANS SUPPORTING ONE OF SAID FRAMES FOR MOVEMENT LATERALLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER FRAME, AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ADJUSTABLE ANGLE WING FORMS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR INNER EDGES WITH SAID LFRAMES: SAID WING FORM PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS EACH COMPRISING A FORM PLATE ON SAID VERTICAL LEG HAVING A BACKTURNED FLANGE FORMING A CORNER ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE PLATE, A FORM PLATE ON SAID WING FORM HAVING A BACKTURNED FLANGE FORMING A CORNER ALONG THE INNER EDGE OF THE PLATE, A RUBBER SEAL STRIP BETWEEN SAID FLANGES SPRING CLAMPS CLAMPING SAID CORNERS OF SAID PLATES AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SEAL STRIP FOR RELATIVE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT, AND A BOLT CLAMP SECURING SAID L-FRAME AND SAID WING FORM TOGETHER IN ADJUSTED ANGULAR POSITION. 